PEDOMETER RESULTS

Hi Everyone, well I didn’t win the step award (pedometer) at my club, but I did get into great shape wearing this thing.  I continue to wear my “stepper” everywhere to monitor my sedentary factor because I get stuck at the computer and forget to get up.  Sound familiar?  Move it or lose it. Whoops, I am losing it quickly so get up and march around to get the bodily fluids circulating.

Here is another AH-HA moment:  I didn’t have a back issue with all my visits to the ER this summer, I was suffering from dehydration.  I am used to 64 degrees in Los Angeles not 111 and no humidity in the desert.  I didn’t realize I was evaporating from the inside out.  Now, I am on electrolyte replacement and cocoanut water for the potassium and chicken soup and pasta sauce for the salt.

Being over 60 (65 at this birthday-yea I made it!) is a very troubling and confusing age group.  Right now I am considered a “betweener”.  That means not yet on medicare , not retired and trying to figure out how to do that and don’t know how I want to spend this third of my life.  All of this is so confusing.  I am an “active aging expert” or as I tell my younger friends, I am actively aging right here in front of you.  Have you noticed how quickly time is passing.  I thought last week was July and next week was still September.

When I look in the mirror I see an older person with a younger person inside trying to get out.

What do people our age wear?  No more Gap or Victorias Secret?  Some say no more midriff tops.  Some say no short sleeve shirts only dark loose fitting clothes and below the knee skirts.  For men, only Tommy Bahama shirts a size too large worn outside the pants of course.  Tell me, who are these “some people” and what do they know?

Body parts have a shelf life.  When I get up in the morning, I could swear someone is rumpling tissue paper next to me when I turn my head from side to side.  My big toes don’t work well anymore and they hurt all the time.  Some mornings I could swear the shelf life on my parts just expired.  My new mottos are “Suit Up and Show Up” and “Move it or Lose it”.  We gotta’ keep on truckin’.

When I was younger, say 50, I could always overdo everything, dance Friday evening, run the next morning at 5:30am, take swing dance lessons that afternoon.  My days were chock full of activity from daybreak till dark.

Then 60 happened! My body decided to force me to make choices.  Yeek! I had never had that before.  My body cannot be fooled into thinking it’s still 50.  My body just turns off when it has had enough and doesn’t go anymore.  Nap time!  Sometimes, I cannot stay up late enough to see who will be kicked off “Dancing with the Stars”.

I have to stretch more and eat less.  I have to remember to stand up straight, wear sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses when outside.  There are so many rules to live by these days.

It’s time for me to join the “Red Hat” society and only wear purple.  Here I go…

Please let me know about the changes you might be going through.  I would love to hear if anyone is on the same page I am on about all this.

Follow Barbara’s speaking tour on Bone Health/Osteoporosis on her web site.  She can speak at your organization’s conference or any club meeting.  Please contact her directly 310 913-3333